St. Lucie County's proposed tax rate remains flat

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Property owners shouldn't expect to see an increase to the upcoming budget year's property tax rate.

County commissioners are scheduled to set the tentative countywide rate Thursday afternoon at the end of nearly a week of budget reviews. If they hold the line on the almost $7.19 per $1,000 rate, taxes would be $718.81 on a $100,000 property excluding any exemptions. Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie have an additional property tax rate.

However, even if the county keeps its rate the same as last year, the question of whether property owners' tax bills would increase or decrease depends on their property values. The county lost nearly $1.9 million in property tax revenue.

County Administrator Faye Outlaw is recommending a nearly $496.3 million budget for next year compared with a nearly $555.9 million budget this year, a decrease of nearly $59.6 million or 10.7 percent.

Next year's expenses are projected to be more than $135.7 million and revenues are nearly $110.6 million, leaving a nearly $25.2 million deficit.

Instead of raising the property tax rate to make up for the deficit, officials plan to dip into the county's uncommitted reserves again to balance next year's budget. The $63 million in reserves is carried forward from previous years and isn't money designated for emergencies. Last year, the county pulled $21.7 million from reserves to balance the budget.

County departments haven't requested a change in their individual budgets for personnel reasons. However, Outlaw plans to discuss raises Thursday because county employees haven't received cost-of-living increases in the past five years.

After the County Commission sets the tentative property tax rate, it can decrease but not increase the rate throughout the September public budget hearings before the next budget year begins Oct. 1.